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== Plot == |
== Plot == |
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Each of the ''Power Rangers'' seasons, or ''incarnations'', centers around a group of people, often [[teenagers]] (age of actors actually varies from 18 to 23 years old), that gain super powers to fight various villains, ranging from demons to witches to aliens. To activate these powers, these characters, known in general as the ''Power Rangers'', ''morph'' by performing a standard action and reciting a ''morphing call''. Throughout the series, the Power Rangers learn the importance of teamwork and perseverance as they battle progressively harder to defeat villains. Like its Super Sentai counterpart, from which some of an episode's footage is taken, a monster is unleashed on the Power Rangers and it is usually up to them to destroy the monster. |
Each of the ''Power Rangers'' seasons, or ''incarnations'', centers around a group of people, often [[teenagers]] (age of actors actually varies from 18 to 23 years old), that gain super powers to fight various villains, ranging from demons to witches to aliens. To activate these powers, these characters, known in general as the ''Power Rangers'', ''morph'' by performing a standard action and reciting a ''morphing call''. Throughout the series, the Power Rangers learn the importance of teamwork and perseverance as they battle progressively harder to defeat villains. Like its Super Sentai counterpart, from which some of an episode's footage is taken, a monster is unleashed on the Power Rangers and it is usually up to them to destroy the monster. |
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Revision as of 23:38, 7 August 2005
Power Rangers is a series of television series, based on the Super Sentai series of shows. However, they are not English dubs of the original Japanese tokusatsu shows: they are adaptations with English-speaking actors spliced in with the original Japanese footage from the adapted shows that use their own creative storylines (although the storylines of certain Power Rangers series are similar to the Sentai shows that they are based off). The Power Ranger series was distributed by Saban Entertainment from 1993 until 2002 and broadcast on the Fox network. In 2002, in the middle of the Power Rangers Wild Force series, Power Rangers changed ownership to Disney and the remainder of the series and all subsequent series air on one of the ABC networks, ABC Kids, ABCFamily, or Toon Disney (despite the fact that it isn't a cartoon).
Plot
Template:Spoilers Each of the Power Rangers seasons, or incarnations, centers around a group of people, often teenagers (age of actors actually varies from 18 to 23 years old), that gain super powers to fight various villains, ranging from demons to witches to aliens. To activate these powers, these characters, known in general as the Power Rangers, morph by performing a standard action and reciting a morphing call. Throughout the series, the Power Rangers learn the importance of teamwork and perseverance as they battle progressively harder to defeat villains. Like its Super Sentai counterpart, from which some of an episode's footage is taken, a monster is unleashed on the Power Rangers and it is usually up to them to destroy the monster.
Often, before a monster is defeated, a monster will grow into gigantic proportions, forcing the Power Rangers to use gigantic (bio)mechanical machines known as Zords. In many cases, these Zords can be combined to form a more advanced (and humanlike) machine, known as a Megazord. In many series, because of the way Zords are combined, the Power Rangers may also use interchangeable parts to enhance their fighting power, or combine Megazords together to form larger Megazords. Though only in the first four seasons, there were extremely large combinations of Zords known as Ultrazords.
Plot Sequence
A normal Power Rangers episode (especially in the earlier seasons) can be broken down into an everyplot, similar in many regards to a Scooby-Doo plot.
The plot sequence is as follows:
- Rangers are seen in everyday life with a dispute to resolve.
- Rangers are attacked by evil enemy's minions.
- Rangers fight minions.
- Rangers get into costume.
- Rangers fight minions some more.
- Rangers beat minions.
- Evil enemy revives minion and makes minion grow to gigantic proportions, followed by Rangers summoning giant machines known as Zords and/or their combined form, the Megazord.
- (Optional) Rangers find that their current powers are insufficient to defeat monster.
- (Continuing from Optional) Rangers use newer, more powerful device (this device may be the newest toy available in a local toy store) to defeat enemy.
- Rangers are shown back in everyday life, having learned a life lesson which solves the earlier dispute, usually from using their newest weapon.
"End of the World" Plot
In several Power Rangers series, the series ends with a battle that pits the Rangers against overwhelming odds. Each battle features several basic traits, including:
- All or most of the current Zords are destroyed either during or prior to the battle.
- The Rangers' current headquarters is compromised and destroyed.
- The main villain makes their presence known to everyone and fights the Rangers.
- The city is overwhelmed by an army of Enemy Foot Soldiers.
- Several or all of the Rangers' vehicles are destroyed.
- The lead Ranger, usually Red, faces the primary villian in a battle that seems to be in the villain's favor.
- The villain is miraculously sealed away or destroyed, putting an end to their threat until next season.
- The villain's generals are wiped out before or during the battle.
Several series also involve the villians unleashing evil Zords upon the city, which do battle with the Rangers' remaining Zords. After the end of this plot, the threat of the current villian is negated for good or until their next appearance. The only seasons not to feature this plot are Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, Mighty Morphin' Alien Rangers, and Power Rangers: Zeo, as their ending battles are all combined with that of Power Rangers: In Space in the special episode Countdown to Destruction. It should also be noted that the Super Sentai shows also use this kind of plotline for the end of their storylines, but is generally something different, although the final battle plots for some of the PR series do have a few similarties to the final battles of the Sentai series that they are based off of.
Elements of a Power Rangers season
In each incarnation of the Power Rangers seasons, there are generally people outside the Power Rangers aiding their cause. Among them is a mentor or teacher figure to help lead the Power Rangers (Zordon for example), as well as a technical wizard or magician who design the various tools used by the Power Rangers (Billy Cranston, for example). There are also characters who have tools and powers like the Rangers but are not Rangers themselves (Ninjor, etc.) Characters for comic relief are generally also present, with such characters attempting to discover the identities of the Power Rangers (Farkas "Bulk" Bulkmeier and Eugene "Skull" Skullovitch, for instance), and nearly succeeding on several occasions.
The Rangers themselves are often color-coded, with each Ranger wearing its color even when unmorphed. In some series (such as Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue and Power Rangers Wild Force), a jacket is given to the Power Rangers to distinguish them from non-Ranger characters. Typically, red, blue, green or black, yellow, and pink or white are the colors used. In series where new Power Rangers are introduced, they either utilize one of the not-yet-utilized previously mentioned colors, or they don't follow the color naming conventions at all (for example, the Titanium Ranger in Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue). The Red Ranger is usually the leader of the team, except in the second and third seasons of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers, Power Rangers Time Force and Power Rangers Dino Thunder.
Each team of Power Rangers, with few exceptions, obey a general set of conventions, outlined at the beginning of Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers and implied throughout many of the other incarnations, although not stated explicitly. These include the Power Rangers being forbidden to use their Ranger powers for personal gain or for escalating a fight. The Power Rangers are also forbidden to disclose their identities to the general public, barring extenuating circumstances (although this rule was disregarded in Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue and Power Rangers SPD).
The arsenal available to the Power Rangers is also somewhat standardized: each Ranger is generally armed with a weapon such as a laser gun or a sword. Each Ranger also has a secondary set of weapons, that can often combine to form a larger weapon (usually a cannon). As the series progresses, one or even all of the Rangers are also usually given a motorcycle for long-distance travel, as well as individual zords. In many series, a Ranger is also given additional zords or weapons, in some cases one Ranger may receive something that other Rangers may not have - an example of this is the Battlizer given to the Red Rangers of each series since Power Rangers in Space. Although much of the arsenal can also be found in Super Sentai, there is generally at least some that are not, generally added for the express purpose of marketing toys designed and sold by Bandai.
In later incarnations it is also common for each incarnation to be separate, story-wise, from another incarnation. A tradition in later incarnations is for two teams of Power Rangers to team up and take on a villain. In Power Rangers Wild Force, the tenth incarnation of Power Rangers, this is taken to the next level, as ten Red Rangers teamed up in the episode Forever Red. The only season not to feature this is Power Rangers: Ninja Storm.
Another frequently-occurring element of the show are the horribly exaggerated characters who many viewers believe make the show seem like a horribly low-budget production. To some this is bad, although many find it somewhat hilarious, especially if they've been watching the show for a long time.
Criticisms
Many critics of the early Power Rangers series claimed that the Power Rangers use unnecessary force to destroy their monsters, and often get into fights when better alternatives were available. In some cases, networks pulled Power Rangers from its lineup, citing such concerns. Later incarnations of Power Rangers often attempt to explain the actions of the Power Rangers, but many still believe that Power Rangers remains a series too violent for young children. Finland pulled the series as they believed that the series caused two boys to beat up a girl in 1993 (it was eventually found that the murder was unconnected to the series). For a time Power Rangers was pulled from Malaysian television screens as the word "morphin" (in the phrase "It's morphin time!") sounded a bit too much like the drug morphine.
The first season of Power Rangers also drew criticism from some groups claiming that the Ranger colors were racist, specifically referring to Zack, the Black Ranger (played by African American actor Walter Emmanuel Jones) and Trini, the Yellow Ranger (played by Asian American actress Thuy Trang). This criticism was rendered moot when the two actors left the show halfway through Season 2 and were replaced with an Asian American male as the Black Ranger, and an African American woman as the Yellow Ranger. This was mentioned in VH1's 'I Love the 90s. Amy Jo Johnson and Walter Emmanuel Jones appeared in the 1994 episode.
The fact that there are very few links between the latter Power Rangers series (apart from the name and format) is often resented by the older Power Rangers fans. Each series now seems to start the story anew instead of continuing from the previous season as it used to. The first Power Rangers shows to stop being a direct continuation from the previous was Power Rangers Lost Galaxy.
A current problem with the Rangers is the fact that their latest seasons are shown on Toon Disney, as part of the JETIX programming block. Many viewers of the network are dissatisfied with this addition, as it violates the very purpose of Toon Disney - that is, to show Disney cartoons.
In the UK, the first incarnation sparked fears that kids would hurt themselves by recreating the moves in the series. As a result GMTV (who is still the analogue host in the UK) had to issue a warning at the end of an episode stating, "The power rangers are specially trained martial arts experts, so don't you copy them!". GMTV no longer issues this warning.
Incarnations of Power Rangers
Power Rangers in film
The Power Rangers series have also brought forth two movies.
"Morphin Calls"
"It's morphin' time!" ["Mastadon!, Pteradactyl!, Triceratops!, Sabre-toothed Tiger!, Tyrannosaurus!, Dragonzord/Tigerzord!"] ["Ninja Ranger Power, Now!"] ["[color] Ranger Power!"] [MMPR:TM: "White Tiger!" in place of "Tigerzord!"]
["Zeo Ranger One, Pink!, Zeo Ranger Two: Yellow!, Zeo Ranger Three: Blue!, Zeo Ranger Four, Green!, Zeo Ranger Five, Red!, Gold Ranger Power!"]
"Shift into Turbo!" [Blue: "Mountain Blaster Turbo Power!", Yellow: "Dune Star Turbo Power!", Green: "Desert Thunder Turbo Power!", Pink: "Wind Chaser Turbo Power!", Red: "Red Lightning Turbo Power!']
"Let's Rocket!"
"Go Galactic!"
"Magna Power!"
"Lightspeed Rescue!"
"Titanium Power!"
"Time for Time Force!"
"Quantum Power!"
"Wild Access"
"Ninja Storm, Ranger Form! Ha!" "Thunder Storm, Ranger Form! Ha!" "Samurai Storm, Ranger Form! Ha!"
"DinoThunder, Power Up! Ha!" [Trent has been known to say: "White Ranger, Dino Power!"
"SPD, Emergency!" SPD, Emergency!" [Commander Doggie Cruger, the sixth ranger to be seen in the television show Power Rangers: SPD, has the same morphing call as the core team members]
Trivia
Red, Blue, and Yellow are the only colors that has been a part of every Power Rangers team "Generation" since the show's inception.
All Red, Black, and Green Rangers so far have been male, while all Pink Rangers so far have been female.
With the exceptions of Power Rangers Time Force and the Alien Rangers of Aquitar, every Ranger team has had a male as its leader. Although Wes did take control of the Red Ranger powers in 2001, which by most Ranger standards would make him the leader of Time Force, Jen was assigned to be the leader when the team went through the Time Portal in 3000. Delphine has successfully led (and, by all accounts, still leading) her team.
Power Rangers SPD made history when Commander Anubis "Doggie" Cruger became the first non-humanoid to become a Power Ranger when he was granted the powers of Shadow Ranger.
Characters
Rangers | Villains | Monsters |
See List of Power Rangers characters for more extensive listings.
See also
- Super Sentai
- VR Troopers
- Masked Rider
- Big Bad Beetleborgs
- List of Power Rangers villains
- List of Power Rangers episodes
- List of Power Rangers monsters
- Zord
- Planets of Power Rangers
External Links
General Information
- Power Rangers Central
- TV.com
- The Writers Guide To The Power Rangers Universe
- Naks Power Rangers
- Power Rangers Online
- The Legacy Continues
- 1Ranger.com
- Chaos Guide to Power Rangers
- Ranger Database Ranger Files
- Jen's Power Rangers Online V2
News and Important Info
- Power Rangers Information Archive
- el Fuñaroverse
- Power Rangers Retrocenter
- Power Rangers On Air Central
Message Boards